This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the World's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.
This region is notable not just for the high number of endemic species, but for endemism in higher-level taxonomic groupings too.
The following families are endemic to the region:
Palmchat, a passerine family, containing a single species found only on dominican republic.
the todies, a family with five species, found only on the Greater Antilles.
In addition to genera in the families above, the following genera are endemic to the region :
Margarops, with one species, the pearly-eyed thrasher
Priotelus, with two species, the Cuban trogon and Hispaniolan trogon
Five genera found only on Hispaniola:
Nesoctites, with one species, the Antillean piculet (also monotypic within the subfamily)
Phaenicophilus, with two species, black-crowned and grey-crowned palm-tanagers
Calyptophilus, with two species, eastern chat-tanager and western chat-tanager
Microligea, with one species, the green-tailed warbler
Xenoligea, with one species, the white-winged warbler
Five genera found only on Jamaica:
Pseudoscops, with a single species, the Jamaican owl
Trochilus, with two species, red-billed and black-billed streamertails
Loxipasser, with one species, the yellow-shouldered grassquit
Euneornis, with one species, the orangequit
Nesopsar, with one species, the Jamaican blackbird
One genus found only on Puerto Rico:
Nesospingus, a genus with only one species, the Puerto Rican tanager
Six genera found only on Cuba:
Ferminia, a genus with only one species, the Zapata wren
Cyanolimnas, with one species, the Zapata rail
Margarobyas, with one species, the Bare-legged owl
Starnoenas, with one species, the Blue-headed partridge-dove (depending on classification, the genus may also be monotypic to the subfamily level)
Torreornis, with one species, the Zapata sparrow
Xiphidiopicus, with one species, the Cuban green woodpecker
The following genera are confined to the Lesser Antilles:
Ramphocinclus, with a single species, the white-breasted thrasher
Cinclocerthia, with two species, the gray trembler and the brown trembler
Allenia, with one species, the scaly-breasted thrasher
In addition in the following genera, high proportions of the member species are endemic to the west Indies:
Birdlife International has defined a number of Endemic Bird Areas in the West Indies.
They have also defined the following Secondary areas:
Zenaida dove
Antillean nighthawk
White-crowned pigeon
Pearly-eyed thrasher
Caribbean dove
The following is a list of species endemic to the region as breeding species:
The following is a list of species endemic to the region as non-breeding species:
Kirtland's warbler
The following restricted-range species are also found in the region:
The following seabirds are restricted to the region as breeders:
Black-capped petrel
